Doug is still out there!

I recently got an Email from Doug Jones about his recent Academy Awards experience. He got to grace the ceremonies with his presence, and he was very excited about it. Congratulations, Doug! Go here to see Doug on his official web site.

Find Your Spot

I thought I would tell you all about one of my favorite web sites.It's called Find Your Spot.Com, and it's a lot of fun. You take a questionnaire about your personal preferences in living environment. Then, out of thousands of cities, it tells you the top ones that fit your criteria. And, it's free. I've gone to the site several times over the years, and it never gets old.

woody allen

Netflix has afforded me the luxury of going through a Woody Allen phase. With the ability to watch many films throughout the week, I have broadened my horizons.

I used to be turned off by Woody Allen's quirky style and odd choices. In the last year, however, I have truly developed an appreciation of his work. Bold, different, and often eccentric, Allen explores new territory in every film. He almost always writes and directs everything he makes, thus adding his signature to every movie.

When I was younger, I made the mistake of trying to watch Don't Drink The Water. I was in the stage version in college, so it made sense to do the research. Or, so I thought. I was already predisposed to not like Woody Allen, so I wasn't looking forward to sitting through this schlock. Boy, was I right. I couldn't sit through the whole mess. Disheveled and rambling, it's obvious that Woody Allen gave his film cast full improvisation freedom. They constantly deviate from the script, on long weird rants that are simply unwatchable.

But enough negative. That was a few years ago. Recently, I've watched Annie Hall, Crimes and Misdameanors, Scoop, and Matchpoint. These films are my favorites out of what I've seen. unpredictable. Filled with rich characters, twists, and a unique approach to filmmaking, these films stand out. Woody Allen himself is funny and gifted with improv.

I'm still watching more of his films, but these are my favorites to date.

Doug Jones of Pan's Labyrinth

doug jones...some more

Loyal blog readers will remember my gushing over Doug Jones a couple of years ago. He's a fantastically talented actor I met about three years ago. You can read that blog entry by clicking here.

Recently, a new film came out called Pan's Labrynth. It is adorned with critical aclaim, and has created a huge buzz. Awesome! You can go to the official Pan's Labrynth web site and check it out. Click on the "behind the scenes" gallery in the upper right. Doug plays the title character, "Pan"! He does a commentary about his physical transformation into his character.

Even though I, sadly, haven't talked to Doug in a long time, I'm proud of him. I can't wait to support him and watch this latest Doug Jones extravaganza. I've loved Doug, and I want other people to love him, too! I can't wait to see this exciting and imaginative film. Congrats, Doug.

oscar

Well, the latest Oscar nominees have been announced. This is always one of my favorite pop culture events of the year. No big surprises this time around.

I was happy to see Pan's Labrynth nominated for a few awards. My old pal Doug Jones is featured in that one. Rock on, Doug.

My favorite nominated film is The Departed. On the negative side: What about Jack Nicholson for best supporting actor? He was really good. I guess we're taking him for granted now. On the positive: Amazing script, great direction (Marty's got it in the bag), and Mark Wahlberg is certainly deserving. The rest of the cast is great, too. It's very suspenseful, upbeat, action packed. One of my favs of the whole year. Good job, Academy.

I have my work cut out for me, too. This time every year, after the nominations are announced, I get to work trying to catch up on the nominated films I missed. I can't wait to see Little Miss Sunshine, Pan's Labrynth, Monster House, and Blood Diamond. One film that caught me a little off guard this year is Babel. I guess there's been hype around it, I just haven't been paying attention. I guess I'll see that one, too.

Check out the entire list of nominees here at the offical Oscar web site.

Want to catch up on Oscar nominated films, too? Netflix is the best way to do it.

Watch past nominated short films for free at Atom Films.

miracle

Last night I saw "Miracle on 34th Street"...for the first time.

I know. I should've seen it, like, 18 times a year, right? But this one escaped me somehow. Until now. It's a glorious black and white film that is very charming. The message is simple and beautiful. I know everyone reading this has probably seen it too many times to count, so I won't bore you.

So, I've become one of those people that updates their blog, like, once per month. Shame on all of you slackers for doing that.

There is a hurricane of event happening right now in American pop culture. There are several things I would like to address. For expample, The dems taking over. Or the Britney K-fed train wreck. Or, the overblown Katie and Tom Cruise wedding. ("TomKat", as coined by the media.) Or, there's the PS3 and the Nintendo Wii. The PS3 is creating a big stir.

However, I choose to use this particular entry to voice my opinion about one horrendous pop culture event that's happening. OJ Simpson.

I have vague memories of sitting in my public school classroom watching the verdict announcement in '95. Now, it's over ten years since it occured, and these new turn of events are disturbing.

OJ is cashing in on his wife's death. And the name of the project? "If" I had killed them, here's how I "would" have done it. This is ridiculous. I think it's obvious he killed two people. No, slaughtered two people. And he got away with it. This appauls me. It's an injustice. It's disgusting, and I think OJ is a psychotic scum. He should rot in prison.

Hi! Meet my inner child

Wondrous of all Halloween wonders. Disney has decided to release Tim Burton's beloved The Nightmare Before Christmas in theaters this Halloween. Only, the glorious thing is, it's going to be in 3D!!!

Now, I'm assuming this is going to be the modern "full color" 3D. This excites me to no end. There are but a few things in this world that bring up an inner childlike joy for me. They are as follows:

1. Halloween
2. Puppies
3. The Nightmare Before Christmas 3D Theatrical Rerelease

Read a review of the movie here.

happy halloween, or something

My girlfriend and I went to an amazing Amish restaurant this weekend. We had to wait nearly an hour to get in, but it was well worth the wait.

Outside, in the "front yard" (the restaurant was made to look like a house), a man was making Sorghum. Another two women were making apple butter over an open fire. They would pour the apple butter from buckets into jars in order to sell it. I bought some barbeque sauce made with sorghum.

The food in the restaurant was good. The style was very quaint, and it was a bit like travelling back in time to the 1800's.

Afterwards we went to a "haunted" corn maze a few miles down the road. It was intense, bizarre, and somewhat fun. There was a short hayride to the entrance to the "haunted barn." We then went through the barn, corn maze, and then a weird "3-d" maze. There was a tractor transport from the corn maze to the 3-d maze, in which my girlfriend and I had the pleasure of being uncomfortably close to some local drunk teenagers. (or maybe they were in their early 20's.)

Yesterday I watched "Ernest Scared Stupid." Yeah. You read that right. The one where Ernest has to stop the evil trolls. I actually made it through the whole thing, and I only dozed off once.

I really enjoy many of the asthetic and imaginative qualities of Halloween. However, the actual holiday is always anti-climactic (for me). I never go to any Halloween balls, or put on a haunted house or anything. I don't really have the time or resources.

Anyway, that's my blog. Sorry I've been away for so long. I have renewed, my children.

farewell old friend

I finally did it. I traded in my ghetto fabulous country trekker CRX. I drove a black '91 Honda CRX for about eight years. A month or so ago, I rolled over 200,000 miles!

Yes, it didn't look like much to anyone else. But for me, that car had some true meaning. I drove that heap all through college, across the country (twice), and I hardly ever had problems with it. That car was my companion when I lived in California. That car and I saw Vegas, Hollywood, and the Grand Canyon together. I drove friends, family, and some animals along the way. She was good to me, that's for sure.

I got a slightly newer, slightly less beaten Honda Civic. A much needed improvement. Farewell, old friend.

American arrogance

The following is an excerpt from The Chicago Tribune. It's from an article written by sports writer Andrew Bagnato.

SAITAMA, Japan -- As they warmed up before Friday's semifinal against Greece, the U.S. players put on a jam session for the fans. Dwight Howard dunked emphatically. Dwyane Wade bounced the ball off the backboard, caught it and stuffed. Elton Brand jammed an alley-oop pass. Finally, LeBron James flew down the lane for a tomahawk. As the crowd roared, the Greeks lined up at the other end and shot free throws.

The moment foretold Greece's 101-95 victory in the semifinals of the world championships. The U.S. has dazzling skill; the Greeks are a dazzling team.

At first, I was going to use this article as an example of American arrogance. You know, the big world superpower arrogantly sweeping in and assuming every win. A sort of tortise and hare story. But upon second glance, the article only reveals humanity. These American guys play hard on the team, and maybe I shouldn't rush to that kind of judgement. It's bordering on cynical.

Anyhoo, that's about it. I don't have anymore deep insights into life. I'm still holding on to my job, trying to keep up with a bizarrely demanding schedule.

superman

The scene: Superman is hovering above the earth, leaning back, listening intently to all humanity. The eternal and haunting dialouge of Superman's father echoes in the background: "They can be a good people, if they choose to be." It is the original chilling Marlon Brando performance.

Later, Superman is hovering above the Earth's atmostphere, arms spread helplessly in a crucifix form. His body plummets limply to the earth. It is an image of the Savior giving himself, and dying for the sake of saving humanity.

In yet another scene, Superman is talking with Lois Lane. He is commenting on an article she wrote about him some years ago (I won't give details of the article in order to preserve the movie, if you haven't seen it!) Superman tells her he sees humanity crying out for a Savior.

These are the types of allusions to God sending Jesus to the earth in the new Superman Returns blockbuster. Despite the movie's pitfalls, there were thought-provoking themes throughout. Such as, the need for a Savior among humanity. And, the symbolism of Superman as a sort of Christ-figure, bestowed to humanity by a loving father.

Weird stuff. But, I liked it. I also find it worth mentioning that some of the action scenes were vaguely alluding to the 9/11 scenerio. That's a personal interpretation, of course. But, the thought made those scenes extra chilling.

Check out the trailer here.

I've had the last two days off. It's a nice break. I'm also still trying to wrap my brain around my new job. It's so consuming, and demanding. The learning process is draining. But hopefully it will even out over time.

emotional detail

My life has been consumed by selling used cars. The hours are nuts. 50 hours+ per week. I'm still getting used to the whole idea. It is a traumatic shift from working at Target. I'm trying not to let the pressure get to me.

They're opening an Apple store here in Knoxville. Congrats, Knox county, on being four or five years behind the curve.

I need a new car. Mine has like 198,000 miles on it. But, hey, still runs.

I've got a lot of things on my mind, and a lot of brewing sentiment in my soul. When I get my own computer, I desperately want to go into more emotional detail about things.

uh...

Sorry I've dropped my blog lately. (Another tactful apology!)

If you haven't seen Mission Impossible 3, you should. Even though Tom Cruise has a reputation for being insane, this is the best MI movie so far. Very awesome.

Even though it's nearing the end of May, the last few days in East Tennessee have been like 60 degrees. Too cold.

I bought a new TV.

I hope Taylor wins American Idol.

time of change

As I write this, I'm sitting in an office at my new apartment complex. Things have drastically changed in the last two weeks. I wish I'd had more time to blog, but I couldn't manage it! I have a new job, new apartment, and a whole new me! (Okay, maybe not the last part.)

I will spill my soul more on this later. It is a time of great change.

Blak

About ten years ago, when I was in high school, a wondrous new product came out. It was called Pepsi Kona. My friend Tim and I quickly became fans of this..."unusual" new drink. It was a blend of Pepsi and coffee. At first, that sounds kind of disgusting. But, trust me. It was good stuff. We drank it as often as we could get our hands on it. Unfortunately, they only sold it in the Northeast United States. So, Tim's family in Pennsylvania would send him cases of the stuff. Soon, they quit making the experimental Pepsi Kona. My life hasn't been the same since.

Now, dear reader, there's a new drink on the market. Coke has come out with their own take on a cola/coffee mix. It's called "Coca-Cola Blak." I was excited when I first learned about it. Ah, the nostalgic days of the mid 90's Pepsi Kona!! So, I bought a six pack of the stuff to try it. Surprisingly, it's good. It has a nice chocolatey taste to it. It's not something you could drink every day. It's sort of a specialty drink. But, it's interesting enough to at least try.

There's a Blak web site here.

easter

1After the Sabbath, as the first light of the new week dawned, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to keep vigil at the tomb. 2Suddenly the earth reeled and rocked under their feet as God's angel came down from heaven, came right up to where they were standing. He rolled back the stone and then sat on it. 3Shafts of lightning blazed from him. His garments shimmered snow-white. 4The guards at the tomb were scared to death. They were so frightened, they couldn't move.
5The angel spoke to the women: "There is nothing to fear here. I know you're looking for Jesus, the One they nailed to the cross. 6He is not here. He was raised, just as he said. Come and look at the place where he was placed.
7"Now, get on your way quickly and tell his disciples, "He is risen from the dead. He is going on ahead of you to Galilee. You will see him there.' That's the message."
8The women, deep in wonder and full of joy, lost no time in leaving the tomb. They ran to tell the disciples.

cat and the fiddle

I did some voiceover "acting" a few years ago for a friend of mine. (Jason). He was working on a senior animation project with his friend, and he asked me to be one of the voices in it. How often does that chance come up? So, of course I jumped at it.

Now, for the first time, this glorious short film is available on the net. Jason is incredibly talented. This is an older project, but it's still awesome.

I am the voice of the cat playing the fiddle.

Click here to see it.

Catalyst 06/Benchwarmers

Wow. I just rolled home from the Knoxville airport, and I'm quite exhausted. I just had a most incredible weekend in Savannah, Georgia!!! My friend Josh Hawk is a youth minister at a church in Georgia called Calvary in Savannah. Josh invited me down to do some comedy, and "acting" in some drama stuff for a youth retreat. Well, of COURSE I wanted to do it! It was a blast.

From wednesday until today (sunday), we worked and did various things to finish the process of getting ready. The theme was Catalyst. It was great. Often, these youth retreat things can be so draining and testing on the patience and/or emotions (and this one certainly had its moments!) But, overall, I think it was the most fun I've ever had working with youth. The group there is awesome, and Josh did a great job. We had a fantastic praise/worship band called Solomon's Porch. Chris Brooks was the youth pastor. (I know Chris from my Student Life days! Is it a small world, or what?!)

It was an incredible time. I made many many new friends, and God truly spoke to me.

By the way, I'm really excited about the new "The Benchwarmers" movie. My old pal, Doug Jones, is in it. For those of you who have heard my whacky stories about this man, but never saw what he looks like, then here's your chance!!! Doug has an interview online. (When you watch the interview, imagine this man petting my face like i'm a puppy.) DOUG I LOVE YOU!!!!! Click here to see the interview with John Lovitz and Doug Jones.